A change in perspective
by bluekitsune251
Summary: An observation from a member of the King of Thieve's band.


A Change of Perspective

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kazuki, a middle class demon. Specifically, a kitsune, or demon fox, for those that don't know. With some complications, meaning that I currently inhabit a human body, something quite unusual for a demon with a humanoid form to do or have willingly. Kazuki is my human name; my true name is none of your business. Are you wondering how this came to pass, my being in a human body? Of course you are. It's really a fascinating story.

It begins several hundred years ago. My demon mother had died, and my demon father took me in. He had a slightly unusual career, as far as humans are concerned. He was a thief, and a good one for the whole one hundred and thirteen years that I knew him as someone other then a visitor to my mother's house. In any case, He worked for another kitsune, by the name of Youko Kurama. If you asked my father, he would say 'worked with' but in truth it was 'worked for'; Youko really didn't need more than one partner, and he already had one when I met him.

This Youko was truly a demon among demons. He was taller than most fox demons, well over seven feet, and had the purest coloring I have ever seen: Shiny silver fur, large (but not overly large) sensitive ears, eyes made of molten gold and flawless skin. He looked like a prince, in a long sleeveless white tunic that seemed incapable of getting stained, only rarely carrying a weapon in plain sight. Oh! and when he fought! It is totally incomparable to anything else in the three realms. I have seen what the humans call dance, and have watched their martial artists at their peak. But I can tell you that even the most graceful of these look like a bumbling newborn besides that man's innate grace and ruthlessness. And he's a genius! Under his leadership, our pack of thieves managed to get into the most precious items in Spirit World, right under King Enma's nose!

But I digress. After my mother's death, my father took me to meet Youko Kurama, in an attempt to gain my acceptance to his pack. To say I didn't appreciate the gift this was at the time would be a horrible understatement. Certainly I realized that I was in the presence of someone who could kill me without batting an eye, but I failed to recognize what he could do for me, and my continued survival in a kill-or-be-killed world. Fortunately for me, Youko recognized some potential in me that he would be able to use in later years and took me under his wing. And so for years he undertook the task of getting me properly educated. He is the reason I am where I am today.

Unfortunately, our seemingly perfect life was not destined to continue. Yomi, Youko's second-in-command, took a portion of the pack, including my father, without the permission of Youko. To say that the King of Thieves (For so he was called among the pack and even those who knew his identity, consisting mostly of those he had stolen from) was furious would be a gross understatement. Later I found that Yomi had heard of a lead on a treasure that he and Youko had discussed lifting, and had decided to move on his own. Regardless, he is not the genius that Youko is in the field. Not only my father, but a full third of the pack was killed for his foolishness that day. Had it been a one time act, there is a possibility that Youko would have forgiven him in time, but as this had happened before (on a less drastic level) and Yomi showed no signs of wanting to atone for his mistakes, Youko ordered the younger demon assassinated without delay. His demand was carried out - without delay, for no one disobeys an order issued by Youko Kurama - and life seemed to go on as normal for a time.

Again, however, things changed for the worse. Youko, for reasons I have yet to unravel, found a new partner and left the pack entirely. I was called to his den one stormy night and was told he was leaving, and that I was in charge of continuing the 'business'. Then Youko left, and the next I heard of him, his partner, a bat demon named Kuronue had been caught and killed brutally. Reportedly, soon after this, Youko was finally 'caught' by Spirit World's best after having made a minor mistake. I refused to believe that my idol, the invincible Youko Kurama, could be caught and murdered by that bunch of fools.

I went to a famous surgeon and like Youko before me, left the pack to a bright demon whom I thought could handle the pressure. After a bit of theft and fancy footwork, I convinced Shigure to surgically transfer my soul and abilities to a young human child. I went to the Human world. I knew that that would be the only place that Youko would be safe for an extended length of time on his own without his regular body. However, that was also the reason I felt I had to follow him. Him, the brilliant demon who had saved my life more times than I could count. I had to learn more from him - he was my obsession, my icon, my way of life.

A little more than a decade later, I heard that he had been spotted in a human city not far from where I ended up after taking a human body. I of course went to find him. He had made himself a nice little niche in his human life, as a successful human student. I noted with a tad bit of humor that he was still exceedingly popular with the girls; he seemed to have a fan club follow him most places. I also heard that he had another partner, a fire demon, but that he had given himself up to Prince Koenma and managed to get off unharmed because of saving his human mother and the prince's 'spirit detective'. I had mixed feelings about this, naturally. But in the end, after a couple of experiences with my own human 'family' , I realized that once again, Youko Kurama had seen something precious where others could not. I had glimpsed the edge of something, and I felt the need to know more, beyond just watching my teachers every move.

I followed him to the Dark Tournament as well. It struck me as I watched him fight that he wasn't fighting for his own personal gain this time, as he had when I saw him fight before. He was fighting a bigger battle - a battle for the human race's right to live. He was entirely ready to give up his entire life for one thing that may not grant him anything in return. And though I am ashamed to admit it after I myself have experienced a human family, I wondered why. (I understand now. I would hardly be a good student if I didn't, correct?)

I continued to follow him and his strange companions. I went back to Demon world and had Shigure switch my soul back to my original body then went to the tournament that Urameshi Yusuke organized to continue watching my teacher. It was not until after I watched his fight with the surgeon that I realized that this time, he was again fighting for himself, but not for his own material gain, or for his reputation's sake - that was almost to the point of no repair, thanks to his assisting a couple of humans win the Dark Tournament. No, this time he was fighting to clear his conscience of something, and I didn't know what it was. However, I watched his every move, his every facial gesture closely, trying to learn what it was that made him different, that made me feel that pull. I didn't know why I needed to know what his motives were.

I watched as Yomi - his former second-in-command had somehow survived the assassination attempt, losing only his sight - supported his first teacher until his friends reached him. It was only when I realized that I too wanted to run to him that it occurred to me that this was his pack now - this strange group of former thieves, shinobi, human half-breeds and just plain weirdoes. And I wondered what the chances I could find a group like that to risk my life for were.

I followed him back to Human world, no longer in human guise. I watched him when he greeted his mother and her boyfriend. And I once again had an epiphany.

Youko Kurama was truly happy. I had never seen my teacher with a smile like that in the demon world. He really was happy in a human body, despite all the limitations and inconveniences that came with it, such as sickness and extreme pain, and even a death that came hundreds of years too soon. He was happy to have a human mother, happy to only rarely go to his native homeland, and happy to never need to steal for a living again. I also realized that there is much more to him than I had ever imagined.

I went back to Demon world one more time after I watched him then. I convinced Shigure to transfer my soul one last time, and then returned to my human parents, who had been frantic looking for me. I apologized, seeing in the back of my mind Youko's greeting to his mother. I wanted to try to know what Youko had found.

It worked. I may have lost my demon body forever, but I gained something I will always be indebted to Youko Kurama forever for. I have a human family of my own now, and a group of friends that I would like to believe would follow me to Demon world and back if I so much as asked.

_"Oi, what do you think you're doing, interrupting a person's fun like that?" the demon demands, wiping blood off his mouth. I smile, and pick up the unconscious man, hoisting him over my broad shoulder._

_"I believe I just saved an innocent human that has others waiting at home for him. You have three seconds to get back to Demon world, or you will die here, as you intended for this human to do."_

_I have something to protect now, Teacher. I learned well. And I'm not about to give it up for anything._


End file.
